The present disclosure is related to air vents. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to air vents configured to selectively block or allow fluid communication between an interior and an exterior of a structure, such as a vehicle, for example.
It may be advantageous to circulate air through an enclosed area of a structure such as a building or vehicle. The structure may include an opening to permit airflow between an interior and an exterior of the structure to vent the enclosed area to an external environment, such as an ambient environment, for example. The opening may be partially covered to block debris and precipitation, such as rain and snow, for example, from entering the interior of the structure through the opening. The structure may include an air vent to selectively permit air to flow freely between the interior and exterior of the structure to vent the enclosed area.
As an example, recreational vehicles may include an air vent to cover an opening formed in the roof of the vehicle. The air vent may be configured to selectively allow air to circulate between the interior and exterior of the vehicle. In some instances, the air vent is closed during inclement weather to avoid precipitation from entering the vehicle. A hood may be installed over such an air vent to allow the air vent to be open during inclement weather. However, adding a hood to the vehicle increases cost and assembly time. Some air vents include a relatively large number of parts and, thus, have a relatively long assembly time. Therefore, there is a need for an air vent that has a relatively short assembly time and does not require a hood to block precipitation and debris from entering the vehicle through the air vent when the air vent is open in inclement weather.